Apparatus for etching rolls.



Patented Nov. 27, I900.

E. HETT.

APPARATUS FOR ETCHING BULLS. (Application filed Jan. 4. 1899A 6Sheets-Sheet I,

(No Model.)

INVENTOR MW/MW/ BY ATTORNEY N0. 662,860. A Patented Nov. 27, I900.

I E. HETT. APPARATUS FOR ETCHING ROLLS.

(Application filed Jan. 4, 1899.\

6 Sheets-.Sheet 2.

"(No Model.)

INVENTOR MMM ATTORNE J ma NORRIS Pzrsws 2a., PnnTdLlrHmwAsumcmN, a. c.

Patented Nov. 27, I900. E. 'HETT.

APPARATUS FOR ETGHING ROLLS.

(Application filed Jan. 4, 1899.)

6 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

K I l I I WITNESSES:

INVENTOR. WM

ATTORNEYJ THE "cams PETERS ca, PHOVTD-LITHB. WA$HXNGTON, u. c.

No. 662,860. Patented NOV. 27, I900. E. HETT. APPARATUS FOR ETCHIN GROLLS.

(Application filed Tan. 4-

6 Sheets8haet 4.

(liq Modal.)

FEE

INVEN TOR ATTORN EYJ Patanted Nov. 27, I900. I E. HETT. APPARATUS FORETCHING BULLS.

(Application filed Jan. 4. 1899.)

6 Sheets$h t 5.

(No Model.)

INVENTOR ATTORNEYJ v. n w

Rms PEFEHS 00.. FHOTO-LITHQ, \VASHINQiTON. DV 1:.

Patented Nov. 27, I900. E. HETT. v APPARATUS FOR .ETCHING ROLLS.(Applicatiog filed Jan. 4, 1899.)

G Sheets-Sheet 6.

(No llndal.)

D Stil AYES airnniir trims,

EDWARD l-IETT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR ETGl-llNG OLLS SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 662,860, dated November 27, 1900.

Application filed Jannary4-.,1899. Serial No. 701,103. (No model.)

To ttZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD HETT, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of New York, (New Dorp,) in the county of Richmond, State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatusfor Preparing Printing-Surfaces, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to means for etching the printing-surfaces of aform cylinder, and more especially to a machine for performing thenecessary etching, operations upon a tubular device such as devised bymeand used in connection with the supporting arbors or mandrels of aprinting-press for doing planographic, relief, or intaglio printing; andmy invention consists in a machine involving the novel devices orstructural features and combination of devices that will be foundhereinafter fully described and that will be most particularly pointedout in the claims of this specification.

To enable those skilled in the art to which my invention relates to makeand use a machine involving either in part or in whole the principle ofconstruction and mode of operation peculiar to my said invention, I willnow proceed to more fully describe the latter, referring by letters tothe accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and inwhich I have shown and described my new machine.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a rearelevation. Fig. 3 is a top view. Fig. at is an end elevation taken froma point of view indicated by the arrow 1. at Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a partialvertical section taken on a plane indicated by the broken line a; a: ofFig. 3 and drawn on an enlarged scale. Fig. 6 is a detail verticalsection in a plane indicated by the broken line y y of Fig. 5 and drawnon the same scale as said figure. Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic-a1 viewillustrating on a greatly-enlarged scale one of a series of burnersarranged to operate withinthe tubular shell or cylinder to be treatedand showing a battery connection for an electrical burner lighter,although in the machine shown and described the electricity used forlighting said burners is taken from the source of supply which affordsthe electrical current for running the motor of the machine. Fig.

Sis a detail partial end view of one of the troughs of the machine andits supportinghracket, showing by dotted and full. lines the adjustmentor movements of said trough. Fig. 9 is a detail view, drawn on the samescale as Fig. 5, showing the parts seen in the latter figure, with theaddition of the motor, the. Fig. 10 is a detail partial vertical sectionon the same scale as Fig. 9, taken in a plane indicated by the dottedline 2 2 at Fig. 3.

In the several figures the same parts will be found always designated bythe same reference-letter.

A is the main iron frame of the machine, which is formed or made with alaterally-projecting bracket-arm, the main horizontal portion of whichis seen at B and the obliquelyarranged bracing part of which I have1ettered b. On the main horizontal portion of this projecting arm orstand 13 is mounted, by means of hinged or linked connections d, arocking or adjustable metallic trough O, which, as shown in thedrawings, (see particularly Figs. 1, 2, and 8,) may be either adjustedorset in the position shown in fulllines, as shown in the first-namedtwo figures and as also shown in full lines in Fig.- 8, in whichposition it is secured by means of a securing-pin e, which engages withan aperture in the upper end of the lugf of the arm B, or may be throwndown into the lower position (indicated in dotted lines at Fig. 8) forpurposes to be presently described. Projecting laterally from said mainframe A and in a plane at right angles from that in which projects thesupporting bracket-like stand 13 b is another somewhat similarlyconstructed bracket-like support composed of a horizontal member D andan obliquely-bracing member 6, both of which are securely bolted to saidmain frame, as shown, (see particularly Fig. 4B,) and on top of the mainmember D of said bracket is permanentlyarranged another trough orshallow segment of a hollow cyliuder E, designed for a purpose to bepresently explained. The upper end of said main stand or casting A isformed with a cylindrical or disk-like top piece A on which is mounted,to turn freely around about said part A, (after the fashion of aturn-table,) the base of a casting F, which is held down in place on thesaid part A (see specially Figs. 9 and 10) by means of an annularcasting or ring h, which, as shown, is securely bolted to the under faceof the casting F and the inner portion of which projects laterallybeneath the part A of the main frame or casting. By this arrangement ofparts the casting F, while held vertically and laterally in place on topof the main frame, is free to revolve about a vertical axis on motion tothe required extent. On this main revoluble or oscillatory casting aremounted all the main working parts of the machine, the arrangements andfunctionsof which parts I will now explain. Bolted to said casting F(see particularly Figs. 1 and 2) is a laterally-projecting bracket-likeframe G, on which is mounted an ordinary blower or air-blast device Hand which also carries near its outer end a suitable andsecurelyfastened metallic stand L in or on which are mounted the shaft70, which carries at one end the pulley L and at its other end aspur-pinion 7c and also the counter-shaft or stud m, on which aremounted the spur-gear Z, which engages with pinion 7c, and thespur-pinion M, which meshes with the spur-gear 0 on the same stud withwhich is made fast the smaller pulley or band-wheel N, all as plainlyshown in the drawings. P is an ordinary electrical motor which is alsomounted on and securely fastened to the upper part of said oscillatorycasting, which motor is supplied through the wires m arranged within thetube G (see Figs. 1 and 9,) with a sufficient and proper supply ofcurrent in the usual manner of electrical motors, and on the revolubleshaft of said motor is made fast the main driving-pulley 0, from whichan endless band travels to and drives the pulley L of the gear system,the upper surface of the top run of said driving-band passing beneathand operating to drive the band-wheel or pulley I of the blower H, (seeFigs. 1 and 2,) while the power and motion transmitted by said belt tothe pulley L operate through said pulley and its shaft to drive thesystem of gearing 1, M, and 0 and thus rotate at a greatly-reduced rateof speed the small pulley N, which is fast on the arbor of the spurgear0 while from this pulley N passes an endless belt to the larger pulley Mfor a purpose to be presently explained. The airblast pipe J of theblower H extends upwardly from the latter, thence horizontally, andthence downwardly, as shown at J (see Figs. 1 and 2,) and supplies theair-blast through said pipe J (see Fig. 10) to theinterior of a longhollow shaft or tube T, one end of which is securely fastened in theportion F of the casting F, from which said long hollow shaft projectslaterally to serve a purpose which will be presently explained. That endof said hollow shaft which is mounted fast in the up per part of saidcasting is preferably held in engagement therewith in the properrelative position by means of the set-screws i i (see Fig. 5) and hasits extreme end closed up by a sprue-plug 6 into which is tappedcentrally the threaded end of a gas-supply elbowpipe f the outer end ofwhich is coupled to a flexible tube D which in turn is coupled to theupper elbowed end of the gas-supply pipe E mounted on the main frame Aof the machine and provided at 72 with a suitable cook or valve, throughthe manipulation of which by means of the Valve-stem i a supply of gasmay be at pleasure out off from or allowed to enter the elbow-pipe ffrom which latter extends axially within the tube T the gas-pipe (1which, as shown, extends nearly to the farther or outer end of said tubeor hollow shaft. The gas-pipe d is provided with a series of smallbranch pipes 01 extending from different points of the length ofsaidpipe laterally and in different directions and which pass radiallythrough apertures made in the said hollow shaft or tube T and terminatein burners W. The air supplied to the interior of said tube T throughthe supplypipe J J enters a chamber 1 in said tube, from one of theheads of which chamber extend three supply-pipes 9 which at their endscommunicate, respectively, with the interior of the gas-pipes (1 justabove referred to, so as to cause the air from J J to unite with the gasin said pipes 6F, and thereby cause com mingled gas and air to flow outof the burners 70 Through a small tube 3 and its branches, which entersthe hollow shaft T at a point within the embrace of the part F of thecasting F, pass electrical wires .9 (see Fig. 5,) which where theyterminate at the said burners are used for the purpose of lighting saidburners at pleasure, the electrical current for this burner-lightingpurpose being controlled or manipulated at pleasure by means of thepush-button c (see Fig. 1) on a switchboard Q, that is mounted, asshown, on the main frame of the machine and which carries also anordinary rheostat at p for controlling the electrical current suppliedto the machine, also a double knife-edge switch at qand an ordinaryautomatic circuitbreaker at r.

The pulley M, which is mounted to turn on the stationary tubular shaftT, is formed or provided at its outer portion with one mem- IIO ber m ofan ordinary clutch, the other member s of which -clutch is formed on theouter oblique projection of a circular disk or cylinder-head 25, whichis also mounted loosely on the shaft T and which is held laterally inplace (in one direction) by a collar or ring a mounted on the shaft Tand secured thereto by an ordinary set-screw W, as most clearly shown atFig. 5. The outer or farther end of the tubular shaft T is closed up bya screwplug 25 and on said shaft, near said end, is mounted to turnfreely a cylinder-head or hubbed disk 0 between which disk and the disk25, nearer the other end of said hollow shaft, is placed and clamped inposition by means of the tie-rods w, of which there are three, more orless, supplied with suitable nuts, as shown, the tubular roll or castform shell B that is to be subjected to the etching process oroperations; rubber gaskets applied at the points It and a for thepurpose of effectuating a yielding and tight contact or union betweenthe ends of the shell B and the shouldered annular surfaces of the disks0 and 25, between which said roll B is securely held. Thus by thearrangements as shown or the assembling of the parts of the shell B withthe disks 0 and tand their appurtenances a hollow cylinder is formedfree to revolve on the hollow shaft T and adapted to be rotated atpleasure by being thrown into clutch with the driving-pulley M, whichpulley, as before mentioned, is driven at a comparatively low rate ofspeed through the medium of the system of gearing, pulleys, and bandsactuated primarily through the main drivepulley O by the electricalmotor of the machine.

From what has so far been said with reference to the construction andarrangement together of the several parts of the machine alluded to andbearing in mind that the swiveling or oscillatory casting F, on whichare mounted all the working parts of the machine, including the motoritself, is adapted to be turned a quarter-revolution at pleasure, so-asto locate the laterally-projecting hollow shaft T and all the partswhich it carries either immediately over the stationary segmental pan ortrough E or over the verti- Cally-adjustable pan or trough G,'thefollowing description of the general operation of the machine will, Ithink, suffice to make plain the whole subject-matter of my invention:

Supposing electrical current to be turned on to the motor in the usualway by manipulation of the rheostat at p and the double knife-edgeswitch q be set in position to effectuate the proper electricalconnection, the working parts of the machine or mechanism will be set inmotion, the electric motor operating to drive by the means and in themanner alreadydescribed both the blower for supplying a blast of airthrough the pipe J to the air-tubes arranged within the hollow shaft Tand the geared shafts, pulleys, and drivebands, through the medium ofwhich the requisite motion is imparted to the pulley M, me u ntedloosely on said shaft, and through the medium of the clutch alreadydescribed said pulley M maybe caused at pleasure to impart the requisiterotatory motion to the hollow-form cylinder or shell E the outer surfaceof which is to be subjected to the etching operation, and by alternatelyshifting or oscillating the casting or part F around about the part A ofthe main frame to the extent of a quarter turn or circle the saidtubular roll B to be treated may at pleasure be brought into positionimmediately over the stationary trough E, which is the washingtrough ofthe machine, or immediately over the trough O, which contains the acidor chemical liquid within which the said roll B is to be revolved. Thewashing of the roll B is effected by applying the washing liquid to theroll as it revolves by means of a hose, brush, cloth, or in any otherconvenient manner, said liquid falling into the trough E. Inperiodically bringing the roll B into connection with the contents ofthe trough C said trough must always be lowered into the dotted-lineposition (seen at Fig. 8) before swinging the cylinder into place andthen elevated to effect the immersion of the lower peripheral surface ofthe roll B in the liquid contents of said trough, and during thecontinuous or intermittent (as the case may be) rotation of theclamped-in tubular roll B around about the stationary hollow shaft T thecombined air and gas burners may be lighted or extinguished as theprocess or operations being carried on may require bysimplymanipulat'ing the button 0 of the electrical lighting contrivanee, while at thesame time the proper currents of gas and air are supplied to saidburners through the medium of the devices already explained, theair-supply devices being all mounted on and turning with the oscillatorycasting F of the machine, while the flexible tube D permits the turningof the gas-supply devices relatively to the main gaspipe E which, asbefore mentioned, is secured to the upper part of the stationary mainframe A. I need not describe the details of the electrical motor and itsconnections,which may be of any approved form, and need only sayfurther, with reference to the general operation of the machine, that-bythe means shown and described the cast tubular roll B which is to besubjected to the etching process, may be treated to any extent and inthe desired manner by reason of the capacity of the machine to permitthe placing of the said cylinder at and to rotate the same axially inthe two positions in which the surface of the cylinder is to besubjected to the action of the liquid in the adjustable trough O and tothe usual and necessary washing operation immediately over thestationary trough E, while atthe same time the interior of the hollowcylinder formed by the temporary union of the tubular roll B with theclamping heads or disks 0 and t of the machine may at pleasure be heatedas required and to the requisite degree by means of the burners 70 theoperation of which may be controlled by the attendant or operator of themachine, as before described. Of course when the tubular roll B shallhave been treated to the requisite extent and in the proper manner itmay be removed from the machine by simply unscrewing the nuts of thetie-rods w and sliding endwise off of the hollow shaft T the outer heador disk o between which and the other head 25 the said tubular roll B isseen to be clamped in place, whereupon another similarshell orform-cylinder-casting surface will be substituted forB and similarlytreated in the machine shown and described.

Mauifestly the apparatus may be employed to suitably develop aplanographic or lithographic printing-surface, or to suitably develop arelief printing-surface, or to suitably develop an intaglioprinting-surface, and it is equally manifest that where the surface tobe treated has a design or impression previously imparted to it thedesign or impression may have been imparted to it in any manner, and itis also manifest that the surface might previously or subsequently betreated in other apparatus, as in a routing-out machine, such as iscommonly used in making plates for relief printing.

The apparatus of my invention is especially valuable and important forthe purpose of developing relief printing-plates from planographicsurfaces to which the design to be printed has been in any way suitablytransferred or imparted, as in the form of transfer for lithographicink. In employing the apparatus to that end the following procedure willbe found efiective: To the tubular printing device, preferably a hollowcylinder having a continuous cylindrical surface exteriorly of zinc,either electrodeposited upon the inner hollow copper shell or cast uponsuch a shell, the outer surface of the cylinder be ing suitably adaptedas for planographic printing,is accurately transferred in any suitableway and rolled up with suitable lithographic ink the design or pictureto be ultimately printed. Parts of the surface are then painted by handwith asphaltum where occur the big masses of the surface that are to beremoved. This asphaltum is to protect those portions of the surface fromthe action of the acid, so as to leave them for the later action of therouting-machine. The entire surface is then powdered with dragons-bloodpowder, which is especially dusted carefully over all of the portions ofthe surface occupied by the ink of the design. The cylinder or roll isthen heated by means of the internal gas-jets described. This melts thedragons-blood powder and causes it to adhere to the ink of the design.The cylinder is rotated slowly during this heating, so as to cause themelted dragons-blood to certainly reach every part of the ink of thedesign. The continued heat bakes it into the ink, and thus subsequentlyprotects the ink and the metal under it from the etching acid. Thesurplus is then washed off with water, the gas having been turned off.The water cools as well as washes the roll. Thus far the cylinder hasbeen kept over the rinsing-trough E. The cylinder or roll is then swungover the etching-trough C and is there given a slight etching, which iscalled the first bite, which may be done by revolving the cylinderslowly in the etching liquor in the trough or by applying that liquor bya brush or otherwise to the surface of the roll. The cylinder is thenswung quickly back over the rinsingtrough and thoroughly rinsed withwater. The roll is then ordinarily powdered again with dragons-blood andbaked and washed. It is then swung a second time over the etchingtroughand given a second bite with the etching liquor and is then againquickly swung back and rinsed, and this operation is repeated half adozen times, more or less, with sometimes more than two bakings. Thetube or roll will at that point be found to be etched to about half thedepth required. It is then painted by hand with asphaltumasecond timeover those finer and more delicate parts of the design that in thejudgment of the operator have had enough etching, this to preventfurther etching and so overetching of those parts. Dragons-blood powderis again applied and the baking operation gone through with and carefulwashing. The cylinder-roll is then swung over the etching-trough and isetched more boldly than before with stronger liquor and for a longertime, and this is repeated. It is then swung back and washed off. Thisis repeated two or three times for the deeper etching, and thereupon theroll will be found to be sufficiently etched. The ink of the design andthe dragons-blood and the asphaltum are then suitably removed, as byturpentine, this over the rinsing-trough, and after a good and thoroughwashing the cylinder is a clean metallic relief-plate without any ink onit at all. The roll is then removed from the apparatusin the drawingsand is put into a suitable routing-machine, 'where the big masses of thesurface originally painted over with asphaltum are, according to thedesign desired to be printed, routed out. The plate after suitablecleansing is then a relief-plate suitable for printing the designoriginally transferred to it and is ready for printing upon being inkedup with suitable inking devices.

Having now sufficiently shown and de-' scribed my new machine to enablethose skilled in the art to understand and practice my invention, eitherin the precise form in which I have shown it or under some modificationthereof, and either as to all or only part of the invention set forth,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A machine adapted to effectuate the .treatment of the externalsurface of a cylindrical shell or roll, and having a support for saidroll, and means for heating the roll, two troughs for containingmaterial for treating the roll exteriorly, the roll-support beingmounted in a movable frame whereby the roll may be moved to a positionover either trough, and means for revolving said roll, substantially asset forth.

2. A machine adapted to effectuate the treatment of the external surfaceof a cylindrical shell or roll, consisting of a movable support for saidroll, two troughs or receptacles, one for containing liquid for treatingthe surface of the roll and the other for containing washing liquid, andsaid support arranged to move the roll over each trough,

IIO

shaft, and Within the roll, and having outlets in the same, and suchgas-supply pipe being flexibly connected with a stationary source I5 ofsupply, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EDWARD HETT.

Witnesses: EDWIN SEGER,

GEO. W. MILLS, Jr.

